F 189 
M3 M8 
Copy 1 



Historic Vowt Washlxgton, 



READ BEFORE THE roLrNflUA HTSTORTCAL SOCIETY. 




Fort Washington. 



JAMES DUDLEY MORdAN, 



\VASlfI.\(;T()N, 1). 0. 



Reprinted from tlie" Keconls of t lie C'olumliia Historical Society. 



OOPYItKilTTKI). 



WASHINGTON. I). V 
April. 1904. 



\ 



LIBRARY otCONGRESSJ 
Two Copies Received 

APR 25 1904 

Copyrleht Entry 



COPY B 






HISTORIC FORT WASHINGTON ON THE 
POTOMAC. 

By JAMES DUDLEY MORGAN, M.D. 
(Read before the Society, Januaiy 12, 1903.) 

The strategic advantage of that promontory on the 
Potomac, which is now called Fort Washington, seems 
to have been known to the Indians, long before the 
coming of the white man into this region. That these 
aborigines appreciated the natural advantages for de- 
fense and offense offered by this bluff at the junction 
of the Potomac River and Piscataway Creek, and that 
their judgment and choice of the situation were both 
sound and unassailable is attested by the continued 
occupancy of this mound for hostile defense by the 
first colonial settlers under Governor Calvert; by its 
choice as a point for a fortification by Generals Wash- 
ington and Knox ; by its improvement and enlargement 
under Presidents Madison and Monroe, and by its 
reaching at our present day the distinction of flying 
the garrison flag. 

First Period. 

The colonists from England, in the Ark and the 
Dove, penetrated as far up the Potomac River as what 
is now called Heron and Blackistone Islands, before 
disembarking. Leaving most of his party here, Gov- 
ernor Leonard Calvert, with a few chosen men of the 
party, set out in two pinnaces to further explore the 
river. They made several landings, one about four 
leagues up at a point near the present Colonial Beach, 
but here the natives on their approach became alarmed 
and fled into the interior. Their next stop was after 
sailing about nine leagues, which brought them to what 



2 Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 

is now called Marlborough Point.* Here the Indian 
chief, Archihu, met them in a friendly manner and 
said, ''You are welcome; we will use one table; my 
people shall hunt for my brother." Continuing their 
voyage of discovery, they came to what was then and 
is yet called Piscataway Creek, and here they found 
the surrounding heights covered with Indians, to the 
number of about five hundred, in hostile array. After 
long and patient gesticulations and demonstrations, 
the colonists convinced the natives that their mission 
was peaceable, and a conference with their chief then 
took place. It was here that the English found Henry 
Fleet, who had been captured and held as a prisoner, 
and through his acting as interj^reter much good feel- 
ing was shown. 

Shortly after the arrival of Governor Calvert and 
his party at Piscataway Creek the Indian chief fell ill, 
and forty conjurers or medicine men in vain tried 
every remedy within their power; when one of Gov- 
ernor Calvert's party, a Father White, by permission 
of the chief administered some medicine to him and 
caused him to be freely bled;— the treatment was suc- 
cessful, the invalid began to improve, and was soon 
restored to perfect health. f The chieftain, though, 
would not bid Calvert and his men either go or stay, 
but told him "he might use his own discretion." Gov- 
ernor Calvert, not overpleased with the dubiousness 
of his welcome, thought prudence was the better policy, 
and deeming it unwise to settle so far up (150 miles) 
the Potomac, after having by various presents per- 
suaded the chief of the Piscataways to allow Henry 

•Marlborough Point was on rotomac Creek; and here as early as 
1828, the steamer from Washington made connections with the stage 
for southern and southwestern travel: "Time between Washington and 
Richmond is 26 hours, being 24 hours sooner than by any other route." 

t MeSlierry's " History of Maryland." 



Col. Hist. Soc, Vol. VII, Pl. II. 



Blodensbupg 




ABRIOHED MAP OF THE POTOMAC RiVER SHOWING POINTS OF 

LANDING ANO LQCALIl IE6 MENTIONEO.ALSO GENERAL R0S5' ROUTE 
FROM eEWEOICTvra BLAOENSBURGTO WASHINGTON. 



FROM OLD MAPS OF THE POTOMAC RIVER AND ITS ENVIRONMENTS. 
Bv |lli. .I.VMKS D. MoKiiAN. 



Col. Hist. Soc, Vol. VII, Pl. I. 




-2 >2 



Morgan: Historic Fort Washington. 3 

Fleet to accompany them, returned for his copatriots, 
who were awaiting him at Blackistone's Island, and 
entering the river now called the St. Mary's, and about 
ten miles from its junction with the Potomac, pur- 
chased of the Indians part of their village, where he 
commenced his settlement to which was given the name 
(March 27, 1634) of St. Mary's. This purchase of 
land and treaty with the Indians was much facilitated 
by a happy occurrence, at least for the colonists, which 
took place at this time. The Susquehannock Indians, 
who lived about the head of the bay, were in the prac- 
tice of making incursions on their neighbors, the 
Yoamacoes, in the vicinity of St. Mary's city, partly 
for dominion and partly for booty, and of the booty 
women were mostly desired. The Yoamacoes were at 
this very time fearing a visitation of the Susquehan- 
nocks, and had already gotten to a point of safety 
many of their wives and sweethearts, so that striking 
a bargain for the purchase of the land was rendered 
very easy for the colonists. 

It was but eleven years after (1645) the establish- 
ment of St. Mary's city (1634) that among the many 
acts and regulations for the defense of the province, 
we read of one for the establishment of a garrison at 
the mouth of the Piscataway Creek, and authorizing 
"Thomas Watson of St. George's Hundred to assem- 
ble all the freemen of that hundred for the purpose 
of assessing upon that hundred only the charge of a 
soldier, who had been sent by that hundred to serve 
in the garrison at Piscataway."* In Ridpath's "His- 
toiy of the United States," page 219, we read as fol- 
lows: "On the present site of Fort Washington, which 
is nearly opposite Mount Vernon, the Indian village 
of Piscataway stood. Here Gov. Leonard Calvert 

* Bo/man's " History of Maryland," vol. 2, p. 291. 



4 Records of the Columbia Historical Societif. 

moored liis pinnace and held a conference with the 
chief of the Piscataways." ''This Indian village," 
saj^s Willson, in his histor}-, "was fifteen miles south 
from Washington on the east side of the Potomac at 
the month of the Piseataway Creek, opposite Mount 
Vernon and near the site of the present Fort Wash- 
ington." An Indian settlement appears on John 
Smith's map of Virginia, opposite Mount Vernon, at 
the mouth of the Piseataway Creek. 

• Second Peeiod. 

It is always a subject for congratulation that any 
enterprise in connection with the interests of our 
young republic was either instigated by or had the 
endorsement of General Washington. He evidently 
weighed well and considered and overlooked the whole 
field of facts before promoting or sanctioning an inno- 
vation. That he might gain a more thorough knowl- 
edge of the topography of the country surrounding 
our Federal City, and the course and tributaries of the 
Potomac he, in 1785, accompanied by several friends, 
among whom w^as Governor Johnson of Maryland, 
made a tour of investigation, in a canoe, of the upper 
Potomac, long before the removal of the seat of gov- 
ernment to Washington. So it was before recom- 
mending to General Knox that promontory on the 
Potomac for a fort (1794)* that he had overlooked, 
examined and sojourned in the immediate neighbor- 
hood and consequently was thoroughly familiar with 

* " 12th of May, 1794, Henry KnoXj wlio was Secretary of War under 
President Washington received a letter which reads thus: The President 
of the United States who is well acquainted with the river Potomac 
conceived that a certain bluff of land on the Maryland side, near Mr. 
Digges', a point formed by an eastern brancli of the Potomac would be 
a proper situation for the fortification about to be erected." The 
amount to be expended for the fort was only to be $3,000. 



Morgan: Historic Fort Washington. $ 

the locality and knew of its many advantages. It was 
often his custom in going either to Bladensburg, Upper 
Marlborough or to Annapolis to ferry the Potomac 
from Mount Vernon to Warburton, and thus continue 
his journey. He has often, when tired or belated, or 
for social intercourse, stopped and spent some time 
with George or Thomas Digges at AVarburton— what 
is now Fort Washington. The writer has heard Dr. 
Joseph M. Toner, in speaking of the beautiful and 
unobstructed view from Mount Vernon to Warburton* 
(now Fort Washington), narrate the story taken from 
Washington Irving 's "Life of General Washington," 
of how General Washington stood on that knoll, a lit- 
tle to the front of his home, and through that forest 
vista signaled by flag to Warburton. Then their little 
boats with liveried men would pull out from the shores 
of the Potomac, to bear the invited one to Mount Ver- 
non or AVarburton, or to strike a trade perchance of 
tobacco, corn, or wheat, for cattle or sheep, or what 
not. 

Exhibit 1. 

Warburton April 7, 1775. 
Bear Sir 

My Father & Mr. Hawkins will take four hundred Bushel 
of your Salt, & I will copy a few Advertisements to be put 
up in this Neighborhood — your Vessel may come along side 

* " The troops stationed near Fort Washington (Warburton)." 
National Intelligencer, July 20, 1813. 

" At Fort Washington, now Fort Warburton." " In August, 1814, the 
troops stationed at Fort Warburton, the only defense of Alexandria, 
blew up the magazine, and abandoned the fort." Pages 15 and 128, 
" Description of the Territory of Columbia," Warden, Paris, 1816. 

" Captain Gordon ordered to bombard fort Warburton." " Historical 
Register of the United States," p. 35, Phila., 1816. 

" In the same despondent hour, when General Winder declared that 
Fort Warburton was not tenable. * * * " " Historical Sketch of 
Second War between United States and Great Britain," by Chas. J. 
Ingersoll, p. 181, Phila., Lea and Blanchard, 1849. 



6 Records of the Columbia Historical Societij. 

of our AVarf, which I apprehend -wou'd be more Convenient 

for the people that may want to purchase. 

The family Join in Complts. to all at i\It. Vernon, with 

Dear Sir 

Your Most Ob Sert. 

Geo Digges 
(Addressed to) 

For 

Col. George Washington 

at 

]\Iount Vernon. 

The Manor of Warburton was patented in October 
20, 1641. Bounded by Piscataway Creek, Potomac 
River and part of Swan Creek by natural boundaiys, 
etc., makes it 1,200 acres more or less. Short entry of 
the certificate is dated June 20, 1637. 

Exhibit 2. 
(To Tliomas Digges about exchange of wheat, from Gen. 

Washington.) 

Genl. Washington presents his compliments to i\Ir. Digges, 
and will, with pleasure, exchange 20 bushels of the early White 
Wheat with him when he gets it out of the straw; — which is 
not the case at present— nor can be until the latter end of 
next week or beginning of the week following: which would 
be full early for sowing tliat kind of Wheat— Indeed any 
time in September is in good season. — The middle, better 
than sooner in that month. — 

A good journey to Mr. Digges 
]\Iount Vernon 31. Septr. 1799. 

There was evidently much social visitino^ between 
the Washingtons and the families at AVarburton and 
other neighboring country seats. In addition to the 
hospitality extended during the hunting season, Mr. 
Irving speaks of "water ])avties u]ion the Potomac in 



Col. Hist. Soc, Vol. VII, Pl. III. 




THOMAS DIGGES, OF WARBURTON MANOR." 
From ijonruit liy Sir Joshiiu Kcynolds, in possession of Mrs. Ella Morgan Speer. 



Morgan: Historic Fort Washington. 7 

those palmy days, when Mr. Digges would receive his 
guests in a barge rowed by six negroes arrayed in the 
uniform, whose distinguishing features were checked 
shirts and black velvet caps. As Mr. Irving 's 'palmy 
days' were before the Eevolution, the Mr. Digges re- 
ferred to was evidently Mr. George A. Digges, who 
lived at Warburton, until his death in 1792. At this 
time, Warburton passed into the hands of a bachelor 
brother, Thomas. As was customary with the sons of 
the Maryland and the Virginia planters, Thomas 
Digges had spent his youth in London, where he was 
known in his circle of friends as the handsome Ameri- 
can. Although young Digges lived the life of a youth 
of fashion among the 'Macaroni' of his day, when his 
services were needed by his country, he proved him- 
self to be a man of resolute character, and ardently 
patriotic. The Continental Congress required a secret 
and confidential agent near the Court of St. James, and 
Thomas Digges was, through the influence of Wash- 
ington, selected for this hazardous and important mis- 
sion. ' ' * 

Exhibit 3. 

(Addressed to) 

His Excellency 

General Washington 
at 

Mount Vernon 
Virginia. 
(Endorsed by AVashington ) 
From 
Thomas Digges Esq. 
10th April 1798. 

Mr. Digges presents His respectful compliments and best 
wishes to General Washington and sends this in a small l)ox 

* " Social Life in the Early Republic," Wharton. 



8 Records of the Cohimhia Historical Societi). 

of seeds, which accompanies a few Potatoes of a remarkably 
approved kind & productive Growth, which Mr. Rhd. Ed- 
monds Seedsman No. 96 Grace Church Street London hand- 
somely offered to and pressd ]\Ir. D to present in His name 
to General Washington. 

Mr. Chs, Pye, who has also purchased some seeds of Mr. 
Edmonds with me, has promised to take care of them, He 
being one of the passengers by the IMount Vernon Capt. John- 
son bound to Alexandria. 

The Potatoes and the Garden Seeds are obliged to be put 
in separate parcels for fear of the yielding damp of the former 
hurtling [sic] the seeds. 
Mr. Rhd. Edmond's 
No. 96 Grace Church Street 
London 10th Apl. 1798. 
Mr. Digges has taken the liberty 
to send in the Box of Seeds a few 
late News Papers. 

Exhibit -I-.* 

Annapolis Jany. 5, 1787. 
Dear Sir 

Mr. Gillis's Polk (who is now here) & lives at Salisbury in 
Somerset County will Immediately upon his return home have 
the plank sawed agreable to your direction & also will forward 
it by the first Opportunity— Our Senate have rejected the 
]\Ioney Bill & this day we expect a Message from them given 
their reasons. We have done little or no Public Business nor 
doe I believe we shall as there seems to be a Party for breaking 
up at all events next Week Avith Compts. to ]\Irs. Washington 

& family am 

Dear Sir 

with great Respect 

Yr. Most Obt. Sert. 

Geo. Digges 
N. B. 
I did not get yr. letter till after 

* Original of Exhibits 1, 3 and 4 in Department of State, Washington, 
D. C. 



Col. Hist. Soc, Vol. VII, Pl. IV. 

















^ 



letter from general WASHINGTON TO THOMAS DIGGES, ESQ. 

About "exchange of wheat." Dated September ":-ilst," ITi'ii. Taken lYum tlu' ui iuiiial in 
posses.^ion of I>r. .lames P. Mors;an. 



Morgan: Historic Fort Washington. 9 

the Post left Town & I\Ir. Powell 
the bearer of this has promised to 
forward it — 
(To Genl. AVashington.) 

Third Period. 
From the period of about 1795, when negotiations 
were entered into with Mr, George Digges for the pur- 
chase of part of Warburton at the mouth of the Pis- 
eataway Creek, on the Potomac Eiver, for a fort, and 
the further expense to the government of small sums 
of money for intrenchments at that point, there was 
very little done, until President Madison, aroused by 
the imminent danger of war with Great Britain, di- 
rected that Major Pierre Charles L 'Enfant proceed to 
Fort Warburton and report to the Secretary of War 
the condition of that defense. Major L 'Enfant, in a 
written report (May 28, 1813), told of the dilapidated 
condition of the fort and the armament, and urged a 
suitable appropriation for putting the fort in proper 
condition for the defense of the Potomac and the Fed- 
eral City. He spoke of the necessity of an additional 
number of heavy guns at Fort Warburton and an addi- 
tional fort in the neighborhood, and concludes thus: 
"That the whole original design was bad, and it is 
therefore impossible to make a perfect work of it by 
any alterations." To prove that L 'Enfant believed 
firmly in adequate sea and coast defenses, and that the 
best way to prevent war was to be prepared, the fol- 
lowing very interesting and instructive extract from 
one of his letters to General Washington dated Sep- 
tember 11, 1789, is quoted: 

"And now that I am addressing your Excellency I will 
avail myself of the occasion to call your attention an object 
at least equal importance to the dignity of the Nation, and 



lO Records of tlic Columbia Historical Society. 

which her quiet and prosperity is intimately connected. I 
mean the protection of the seacoast of the United States. 
This has hitherto been left to the Individual States and has 
been so totally neglected as to endanger the peace of the 
Union, for it is certain that an insult offered on this (and 
there is nothing to prevent it) how ever immaterialy it may 
be in its local effect, would degrade the nation and do more 
injury to its political interests than a much greater depreda- 
tion on her Inland frontier. From these considerations I 
should argue the necessity of the different "Ways and seaports 
being fortified at the expense of the union, in order that one 
general and uniform system may prevail throughout, that 
being as necessary as a uniformity in the discipline of the 
Troupes to whom they are to be Intrusted. 

"I flatter myself your Excellency will excuse the freedom 
with which I impart to you my ideas on this subject, indeed 
my Confidence in this Business arises in a great measure from 
a persuasion that the subject has already engaged your atten- 
tion, having had the honor to belong to the corps of engineers 
acting under your orders during the late war, and being the 
only officer of that corps remaining on the Continent." * * * 

Gen. Wilkinson in Williams' "Invasion of Wash- 
ington" at page 285 says: 

"Fort Washington was a mere water battery of 
twelve or fifteen guns bearing upon the channel in the 
ascent of the river, but useless the moment a vessel had 
passed. This work was seated at tlie foot of a steep 
acclivity, from the smnmit of which the garrison could 
have been driven out by musketry ; but this height was 
protected by an octagonal block-house, built of brick 
and of two stories altitude, which, being calculated 
against musketry only, could be knocked down by 
twelve-pounder. ' ' 

This was its condition in July, 1813. 

Still with all these facts before him the Secretary of 
War, Armstrong, proceeded to argue the utter improb- 



Col. Hist. Soc, Vol. VII, Pl. V. 




WARBURTON MANSION AND THE OLD BY-WAYS IN 1798. 



Morgan : Historic Fort Washington. 1 1 

ability of a hostile force leaving its fleet and marching 
forty miles inland; as to the Potomac, its rocks and 
shoals and devious channels would prevent any stran- 
ger ascending it, "The British," Armstrong con- 
cluded, ''would never be so mad as to make an attempt 
on Washington, and it is therefore totally unnecessary 
to make any preparations for its defense." Not only 
the Secretaiy of War, but also President Madison, did 
not see the need of urgency, and only "a couple of 
hands" were ordered down to the fort to execute the 
necessary repairs, so that the ascent of the British in 
August, 1814, was checked by no formidable display of 
men or of armament, and their approach to Alexandria 
was easy and simple, having only one man killed in a 
journey of eight to nine days or more up the Potomac, 
and this Briton was shot lower down the Potomac raid- 
ing a chicken roost. 

After the disgraceful capitulation of Alexandria 
(and the burning of the public buildings of Washing- 
ton, by the other wing of the British army, which had 
landed at Benedict on the Patuxant and come to W^ash- 
ington by way of Marlborough and Bladensburg), 
Captain Gordon, the British commander, weighed an- 
chor and slowly proceeded down the Potomac. At 
both the White House and Indian Head on the Potomac 
(September 5, 1814) there was a considerable muster 
of men, who fired upon the retreating vessels, towing 
their prizes taken at Alexandria. Porter's battery at 
the White House did considerable damage to the 
enemy, killing seven and wounding thirty-five men. 
The winding course of the channel of the Potomac and 
the numerous kettle bottoms* formed by beds of mud 

* The British passed the kettle bottoms on the ascent of the Potomac 
Aiignst 19 and reached Alexandria August 27. The kettle bottoms of 
the Potomac River are bars of mud and oysters more frequently found 
between Lower Cedar Point and Cob Point Lighthouse, a distance of 
about six miles. 



12 Records of the Columbia Historical Socictij. 

and oysters, made their navigation and speed very 
slow, and on many occasions the vessels were grounded 
on one of the frequent sand-bars. 

Only a few days elapsed after the departure of the 
British, when Secretary of State Monroe, wlio was then 
also Acting Secretary of AVar (Gen. Armstrong having 
resigned in disgrace), ordered (September 8, ISl-t) 
Major L 'Enfant to proceed to Fort Washington and 
reconstruct the fort. (Exhibit 5.) 

An exhibit dated September 13, 1814, ordering Ma- 
jor L 'Enfant to report to Col. Monroe, Acting Secre- 
tary of War, is presented, also an exhibit dated ]\Ion- 
day, September 19, 1814, showing the amount of ma- 
terial and men sent on that day to Major L 'Enfant at 
Fort Washington. 

Exhibit 5. 

Washington Spt 8 1814 
Major L 'Enfant 

Sir 

You will proceed to Fort Washington and examine the 
state of that -work, and report the same as early as possible to 

Yr obed sevt 

Jas. Monroe 

Exhibit 6. 
To ]Major Longfoung 

Topographical Engineer 
at or near 

Fort Washington 
By Express. 

Q. M. Genl. Office 
Washington City Sept. 13, 1814 
7 OClock Evening 
Major Longfaung 
Sir 

On receipt of this note you will repair immediately to 



Morgan: Historic Fort Washington. 13 

Washington City & Report yourself to Colo. Munroe Aetg 
Secy of War. 

By Order 

F Marsteller 
Q M Genl. 
Exhibit 7. 

On Monday 19th to he Sent to Major L'Enfant at Fort Wash- 
ington. 
50 Men with 15 or 20 Wheelbarrows, Spade & pick axe & 

a Number of Good Axes. 

Carts will be Wanted hereafter. 

Timber will Also be Wanted for the Work And Some 

Carpenters & Masons & About 20000 Bricks. Some rough 

Stone & lime, of Which a note will be given by Major 

L'Enfant. 

Signed Jas. Monroe 

Sept. 15th, 1814. 
Major ]\Iarsteller 

Materials Ordered 
from 500 to 1000 perch Stone 
from 1 to 200000 Bricks 

Timber 40 feet long— 14 Inches Square — 30 pieces 
Scantling 30 do— do— 6 by 9— do 400 do 
Plank 25 do— do— 3 or 4— About 5000 feet 
1 Gin Complete with falls. 

Captain Gordon, H. M. S. Seahorse, commanding 
the Potomac squadron, in his report has this to say 
of that part of the journey in the vicinity of Mount 
Vernon and Fort Washington: 

' ' The following morning, August 27, 1814, to our great joy 
the wind became fair, and we made all sail up the river, which 
now assumed a more pleasing aspect. At five o'clock in the 
afternoon. Mount Vernon, the retreat of the illustrious Wash- 
ington, opened to our view, and showed us for the first time, 
since we entered the Potomac, a gentleman's residence. 



14 Uccords of the Cohimh'ia Il'istorical Society. 

Higher up the river on the opposite side Fort AVashington 
appeared to our anxious eyes, and to our great satisfaction, 
it was considered assailable. A little before sunset the 
sfjuadron anchored just out of the gunshot; the bomb ve&sels 
at once took up their positions to cover the frigates in the 
projected attack at daylight next morning and began throw- 
ing shells. The garrison, to our great surprise, retreated from 
the fort; and a short time afterwards, Fort Washington was 
blown up, which left the capital of America and the populous 
town of Alexandria open to the squadron, without a loss of a 
man. It was too late to ascertain whether this catastrophe 
was occasioned by one of our shells, or whether it had been 
blown up by the garrison ; but the opinion was in favor of 
the latter. Still we are at a loss to account for such an ex- 
traordinary step. The position was good, and its capture 
would have cost us at least fifty men and more, had it been 
properly defended; besides an unfavorable wind and many 
other chances were in their favor, and w'e could have only 
destroyed it had we succeeded in the attempt. 

"At daylight the ships moored under the battery and com- 
pleted its destruction. The guns were spiked by the enemy; 
we otherwise mutilated them, and destroyed the carriages. 
Fort AVashington was a most respectable defense ; it mounted 
two fifty-two pounders, two thirty-two pounders, eight 
twenty-four pounders; in a martello tower two twelve- 
pounders, with two loop-holes for musketry ; and a battery 
in the rear mounting two twelve and six six-pound field 
pieces." 

There can be no doubt that had Fort AA^ashington 
been properly garrisoned and the channel obstructed, 
as General AVinder re(iuested (August 19, 1814), and 
suitable batteries erected at tlie joroper time on the 
river, the British squadron would never have reached 
Alexandria. The officer (Exhibit 8) who had run 
away with his command from Fort AVashington was 
tried by the court-martial and dismissed from the ser- 
vice. 



Col. Hist. Soc, Vol. VII, Pl. VI 




Jc^\^xLJ Atu,eC\.jo 



At the age of eighty-two. 



Morgan: Historic Fort Washington. ^5 

Exhibit 8. 

Adt. & INSPR. Genl's Office 
Washington Oct. 13, 1814 

'"tou will attend as a Witness on the P^^lf^/^ 
before the Genl, Court Martial sittmg m f- City or the 
Trial o£ Cap. Saml. T. Dyon (?) on thursday the 20th mst. 
I am 
Sir 

Yr. Obt Servt 

Jn p. Bell (?) 

Maj. Genl. 

Major L 'Enfant 

Engineer Fort Washington 

A letter dated Fort Washington, July 19, 1815, from 
L 'Enfant to Major Marsteller, reads as follows: 

Exhibit 9. 
Fort Washington July 19, 181^ 

Sir 

With pleasure I forward to you agreeable to application an 
expression of my opinion of your eharaeter »d «o^duet dur- 
ing your attendance on Port fort [sic] Washington. I have 
s"? in all things that have come under my notice found you 
correct & in conduct the perfect gentleman. ^^ ^_^^^^^^^ 

to Major Marsteller, etc. 

After the seeoud war with Great Britain Fort Wash- 
ington was allowed, as inost of the forttficattm^s 
throughout the United States, to go to rack and i« n 
for want of proper care to Its armament and mtrench- 
menr until in 1850 it was a mere military post, hav- 
Sg one or two companies of artillery, and later on only 
a detachment of the ordnance corps. 



l6 Records of the Cohnnh'ia Historical Society. 

Fourth Period. 

In all periods of North American histoiy, aborig- 
inal, revolutionaiy and secessional, the gronnd where 
Fort Washington stands to-day has taken a i)rominent 
part. The first order issued during the Civil AVar for 
the protection of Washington to the naval forces was 
dated Januaiy 5, 1861, signed Isaac Toucey, Secretary 
of the Navy, and addressed to Col. John Harris, Com- 
mandant Marine Coips, directing that a force of ma- 
rines be sent to Fort Washington, down the Potomac, 
for the protection of public property. Forty men, 
commanded by Capt. A. S. Taylor, U. S. Marine Corps, 
were sent in obedience to this order.* 

Historic Fort Washington, which has seen so many 
viscissitudes and taken part in so many wars, inva- 
sions, sieges and insurrections of this country, had a 
garrison flag raised to the top of a new steel flag pole, 
on Wednesday, December 12, 1902, with military cere- 
mony, the music playing, troops drawn up in line with 
presented arms, and a salute being fired from the guns 
of the fort. The new flag, which is a large one, flies 
from the top of the pole fully two hundred feet above 
the river. It is so situated on a high hill that it can 
be seen for miles. Until this time only a small flag 
had been used at Fort Washington on the flag pole 
within the old stone fort. Under the authority of the 
War Department the large garrison flag has now been 
raised, signifying Fort Washington is the headquar- 
ters for the Potomac forts. 

Discussion. 
Mr. ]\L I. Weller said: While tlie al)le ])ai)or which 
has just been read by Dr. Morgan deserves abundant 
praise, still I cannot allow this occasion to pass witli- 

* Richard Wainwright, U. S. N. 



Morgan: Historic Fort Washington. 17 

out entering my i)rotest against the undeserved con- 
demnation of the American army which was intrusted 
with the defense of the National Capital and which was 
commanded by that efficient soldier, General William 
H. Winder, who with the hastily gathered forces made 
a determined defense against Wellington's veterans 
fresh from the scenes of victories in the Napoleonic 
wars under the leadershi]) of General Ross who had 
enjoyed a reputation second to none ; I certainly be- 
lieve at this late day no historian who will have access 
to original sources will repeat the slurs that were so 
prevalent shortly after the disaster and which forced 
the Secretary of War, General Armstrong, into retire- 
ment, the victim of public clamor ; the campaign lasted 
ten days with its culmination at Bladensburg, where 
the forces engaged were nearly equal in number ; the 
battle was well contested, especially by the District of 
Columbia contingent, numbering about 1,100 men, un- 
der the command of General Walter Smith, and the 
sailors of ('Ommander Barney's flotilla, who served 
their guns with admirable ])recision until their am- 
munition was exhausted; the statement that the anuy 
was i)anic-stricken so often mentioned is not based on 
facts, there was no rout, but the retreat was effected 
in an orderly manner, although some of the guns had 
to be abandoned; it is said that when the order was 
given to retreat, the Disti'ict contingent was reluctant 
to leave the field and some even shed tears that they 
should be compelled to retire; of course the defeat left 
the I'oad to Washington open, and the enemy entered 
the city, on theii' mission of destruction, reaching Capi- 
tol Hill about eight o'clock P. M. ; the main cause of the 
British victory was the use of Congreve rockets, mis- 
siles of war totally unknown on this side of the Atlantic 
and which had s])read consternation in the ranks of the 



i8 . Records of tftc Colaiiib'ui H'lstoriciil Socictij. 

Freiu'li veterans at the battle of Leii)sic, a year pi-evi- 
ous; and wliicli had the tendeney to demoralize any 
trooi)s iiiia(*(|iiainted with this naval im])lement of war; 
the British forces fled preei]iitately from the city the 
followinji' night, after indnlging in acts of vandalism 
disgraceful to Knghnid and snl)se(|nent!y condcMimed 
by the civilized world; the British casualties were over 
1.100 in numher, more than one fourth of their total 
army, and in their I'etreat they abandoned their 
wounded lo the mei'cy of their American foe, who at- 
tended tlieni with such generosity tliat it (Milisted the 
grateful acknowledgments of (Jenerjd Ivoss and Ad- 
miral (V)ckburn; this at least is one of the bright re- 
deeming features of this short campaign and in vivid 
contrast to the unjustifiable deeds ])erpetrated by their 
enemies; as a grandsoii of one of the I^)ritisli invadei's 
(my maternal gi'andfather was an officer in the -l-4th 
foot), 1 am hai)))y to be able lo i)ay this tribute to 
American valor and American humanity ; doubtless 
many mistakes were made, erroi-s of judgment })re- 
vailed in disregarding the warning that the Capital 
might be attacked, but the charges of cowardice against 
the American army will not be successfully maintained 
by any liistoria7i who dis])assionately reviews all occur- 
rences leading up to that fatal August '24, 1814, and 
who has a due regard for Aiiicricaii honor. 

Miss Elizabeth .lohnston said that the massacre of 
the Sus(|nehannock Indians is referred to as occurring 
in the neighboi'hood of Piscataway Creek. The chief 
of the Piscataways was, as the essayist noted, s])oken 

of as " the emperor." 

(iciK'ial r». K. ikoberts. commanding the defenses of 
the rotoiiiac with headquarters at Port Washington. 



Morii'dn: Historic Fort \V asliiui^to)!. 19 

said that with the i)reseiit annaineiit of tlie fort it 
would be an easy matter to sweep the Potomac for 
miles down stream. Ownng, he said, to the elevation 
of Fort Washington, as well as the batteries on the 
Virginia side, above water level, the force at this point 
in the event a hostile fleet came up stream, would be 
able to pour in a raking fire on the decks of the ene- 
my's ship, which constitute the weakest portion of 
modern war ships. 



l\m^^^ Of" CONGRESS 



